MLK Weekend Ski Time

Saturday Afternoon - dogs running on Varnum Pond

The dogs and I skied Mt. Blue SP today - went on one of the trails I mountain bike where no snowmobiles go.  Breaking trail was excellent and not seeing a soul ALL morning was even better than that.  I had all kinds of weather. Warm and mild in the morning - sunny and warm to the point where I was skiing without headband or gloves and without a jacket.  But there is this arctic air on the way in, so at one point the clouds blocked out the sun and thunder rumbled.  Way out there in the woods alone, with thunder rumbling, it was a little spooky.  Then it squalled hard -- it was dumping.  From there, sun came out again and the wind picked up.  I am worked and happy.  The dogs are too.

One of my all-time favorite aspects of winter is that I can see all around me, through the trees.  How many times have I biked this trail in the summer and fall and not seen exactly where I was and where I was headed?  A bunch.  That is Mt. Blue ahead of me, and I am on my way on the trail that goes around Little Blue. Today I learned that this trail I have ridden so many times goes right between the notch of Mt. Blue and Little Blue.  It is impressive and wild and out there.

 I did not leash or harness Phoenix at all.  It was excellent to allow him to be free and running and even better that I had no help at all on this ski, because when he pulls, I struggle to really sweat.

Since we were breaking trail, we saw lots of tracks - deer, moose and this.  Either coydog or fox - my guess is coyodg.  It is remarkable to me how business-like they are with their travel.  The tracks my dogs leave are sporadic and meandering.  Not these tracks though - perfectly straight and uniform, no energy senselessly used.  I loved to ski them, smiling to see where they chose to go when they came upon blowdowns and drainages. 

Almost back to the car, Dixie takes a break on our tracks.  Life is so good.